Rome In One Day! Crazy. Please suggest itinerary.

It will take 2-4 hours just at the Vatican and St. Peters just to do it justice. You may want to get a tour guide for that so you hit the highlights. Or a tour guide just for the day will allow you to see the major attractions. They will also get the tickets for you then. We used Artviva.com but there are many guides recommended on this helpline that could give you a very organized day. When we used Artviva they got the tickets to the Vatican for us.

Don, The travel from Civitavecchia is train (close to the terminal) straight to Termini train station in Rome. You can then catch the metro (it's downstairs in Termini) to the Coliseum. Forum is right there, too. You can then walk to the Pantheon, and while there, go to Piazza Navona, to see the Bernini fountain. Unfortunately St. Peter's is not close to the coliseum and not close to the Termini, which is what you need to get back to Civitavecchia.
We have not used it, but many people have used the hop on hop off bus, Check the Rick Steves guidebook.
Michelangelo's David that you are talking about is in Florence, not Rome. There is some great sculpture in the Borghese museum, check the guidebook again, for directions on how to make a reservation for this museum. Also, all of this depends upon what time you actually are able to leave the ship, I'm assuming in the morning. I hope this helps, have a great trip! Mimi

Your time is limited. See as much as you can. I would take the City red bus #110. It is an HOHO bus that covers 80 sightseing destinations in a 2.5 hour loop. Sit on top in front for the best views. They have an audio guide.

Check out www.roninrome. There's a step-by-step guide for Rome cruise stop-over.

From Civitavecchia, you can get off at St Pietro station, which will put you with in walking distance of the Vatican. That way you don't have to go all the way into Termini from the cruise dock. From the Vatican area you can then take the local bus...(forgot number, but it's in Rickys book) to get to the Colosseum and Forum area and then back to Termini for the regional train back to Civitavecchia. Or you can reverse this, by starting at Termini and ending at the Vatican and catching the regional train from St Pietro station back to Civitavecchia.

All of the above suggestions are reasonable but you need a plan. As someone who has done it four times, let me put some ideas forward.

First, the train from Civ to Rome is a commuter run -- about three,four trains an hour taking from 45 mins to 1:15 depending on the train. Second, you need to plan a min of two hours and probably three from the time you leave the ship till you arrive in Rome at Termini. Plan a max of two hours for return.

There will be a shuttle from your ship to the port entrance. The train station is about a mile straight down the road along the beach from the port entrance. There will be taxis available but they will not take the short fare to the train station because they want the big fare to Rome. Walk it, it is level. The big bottleneck will be purchasing tickets to Rome especially if there is more than one cruise ship in port and many ships terminate here which adds addition pressure -- long lines for tickets. If you are anywhere in Italy prior to this stop and can find a train station, BUY THE TICKETS THERE. Just buy open, second class, RT tickets. That way you can jump on the first train (other than a high speed) going to Rome. You may have to stand but you are on the train.

In Termini, Civ trains use tracks 23 and 24 which are closer to Venice than Rome. It is about a half mile walk to the front of the terminal building. Across the plaza in front of the station is the starting point for the hop on/off buses. For your short time, these bus are you best plan because they also serve as your transportation. Make for one complete loop so that you get a good overview of everything, the timing, and decide what you want to see in depth. You do not have enough time to see the inside of the Colosseum (the Colosseum and Form are now one entrance ticket) Sistine Chapel, etc. You will need to pick and choice carefully. I would buy tickets on site as need because you don't have enough time to make the museum card work.

Uhhh, unless he just moved, Big Dave is still in Florence.

Now Bob, I believed that has already been pointed out. Add something constructive.

Ran out of space before I could add the standard cautions, VALIDATE YOUR TICKET in the little yellow boxes. The penalty for not validating a ticket is sever. Planning carefully. Our experience with cruise ships is that when they say they are leaving at 7 pm they do not mean 7:01. Actually they mean 6:58. We will be doing this again on September 28 but our ship stays till 9 PM.

After getting off the free shuttle bus from the cruise ship in Civitavecchia, it's a .6km or 7 min walk to the train station. I just did it this past July, to the ship, and from the ship, and it is no where near 1 mile from the shuttle stop to the station. Also it is only .7km from S. Pietro station to the Vatican. Franks suggestion of purchasing the Regional train ticket anywhere in Italy prior to arriving in Civitavecchia , can save you loads of time waiting in line to purchase a ticket at the station.

Guys this has been great help. Thanks everyone. Sorry for the mix up on Big Dave. I know he's in Florence. We are seeing him there. I should have said Michelangelo's Pieta which we hope to see in Rome. Any cruisers who can weigh in on what time you generally are allowed to leave the ship? Itinerary says we arrive in port at 7:00am. We are not going to do the Royal Caribbean shore excursion to Rome so they may stiff us and make us get off the ship later.

If you are lucky you will be off the ship by 8 or so. Your are correct in that ship's excursion passengers have first priority in getting off. But after the early tours are off, the open the doors for everyone. Someone posted they can walk to the station in 7 mins. That is a brisk walk. It generally takes us at least 15. Just realized we will cross paths -- slightly -- we come from Rome on the 7th.